Menopause Awareness Month | Pleasure, Pressure & Pain
- Michelle Jermy
- Nov 21, 2025
- 1 min read
The the start of October I had the privilege of speaking at the WHEN Conference 2025 — and I’ll be honest, I was nervous.
It wasn’t until I was driving home that it hit me: this was my first presentation in almost 10 years, since speaking in Toronto, Canada.
And we all know what happened next...
I came home pregnant, then life happened — a baby, a pandemic, the loss of my dad, breast surgery, breaking my ankle, and learning to live with and manage PMDD.
For a long time, I simply wasn’t ready — physically or mentally — to be back in front of a large audience.
So standing there, sharing my talk “Pleasure, Pressure & Pain” during Menopause Awareness Month, felt like a huge full-circle moment.
I spoke about the patterns I see in clinic, introduced the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and shared a new clinical tool I’ve developed to help open up conversations around sexual wellbeing — because:
“Pleasure isn’t a luxury add-on — it’s central to sexual health.”
The room felt nurturing, supportive, and beautiful — you could feel the shift happening. The energy was incredible, with top-class speakers reminding us why this work matters so deeply.
Even though I’ve continued teaching and lecturing, presenting at a conference has a different kind of energy — and I didn’t realise how much I’d missed it.
Feeling proud, grateful, and reconnected with this part of my professional life again.
